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My Joy

Synopsis

A routine run for a truck driver turns into a nightmare he can’t escape in this psychological drama from filmmaker Sergei Loznitsa. Georgy (Viktor Nemets) is driving a load of freight into Russia when, after an unpleasant encounter with the police at a border crossing, he finds himself giving a lift to a strange old man (Vladimir Golovin) with disturbing stories about this younger days in the Army. After next picking up a young woman (Olga Shuvalova) who works as a prostitute and is wary of the territory, Georgy finds himself lost, and despite asking some homeless men for help, he’s less sure than he was before of how to make his way back where he belongs. As brutal images of violence and alienation cross the screen, Georgy’s odyssey becomes darker and more desperate until it reaches an unexpected conclusion.

I got confused by the appearance shift of the main character around the mid-way point and lost confidence that I understood exactly what was going on.

Some of the scenes started too early and ran too long. It's like if you have a scene of a guy walking down a hallway. In a tightly-paced movie, the scene starts with the guy in the hallway, we see him take a couple steps, and we're on to the next scene. In this movie, we see the hallway for a few moments, then hear the guy approaching, then see him walk the length of it. After he's gone, we hear him trail off, there's silence…

Difficult film. Admittedly intelligent, but I can't shake the feeling of intense apathy that infests me every time I try to watch it. The scenes don't really connect in a coherent way, nor do they entice enough fascination to care to even think about it long enough to make it coherent.

Looooooooooved the first half. With a capital 'L' and about 10 'O's. I get that the dramatic shift is what many of this film's acolytes enjoy so much, but I just found the second half such a slog to get through. Mulholland Drive, this is not.

My Joy is a dreary and ambiguous journey that allows the viewer to try and piece together the fragments of information we receive. The film forgoes traditional narrative and rather presents with various moments throughout time; traveling between past and present, all which add up to an almost sinister ending.

Though I was completely engaged throughout; the nihilistic film left me feeling rather depressed at the end.

I admit to breaking my cardinal rule when it comes to watching films; I watched MY JOY split up over two separate viewings, and I fully admit to losing grasp of the story. I really have no idea what went on here, but the artistry is evident. This is one I'll have to revisit, this time with my full attention.

Difficult film. Admittedly intelligent, but I can't shake the feeling of intense apathy that infests me every time I try to watch it. The scenes don't really connect in a coherent way, nor do they entice enough fascination to care to even think about it long enough to make it coherent.

In a word its harrowing. I started watching it and couldn't stop until the end, it does get a little weaker towards the end but the cinematography and acting keep this movie interesting from beginning to end.

A nightmarish allegory set in modern Russia, reminiscent of David Lynch's work. It starts as a relatively simple story, suddenly taking a grotesque turn and never looking back. It requires paying attention to make sense of many subplots and bizarre characters. Not an easy movie to watch on many levels, but the end result is rewarding and thought provoking. I'm not sure how much sense it would make to a Western audience, as it goes deep into social commentary on Russian society with many references that perhaps only make sense to Russian audience, and the English subtitles didn't seem to accurately convey the dialog (in the theatrical version, anyway).

Looooooooooved the first half. With a capital 'L' and about 10 'O's. I get that the dramatic shift is what many of this film's acolytes enjoy so much, but I just found the second half such a slog to get through. Mulholland Drive, this is not.